The unofficial, unauthorized view of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. The Ancestry Insider reports on, defends, and constructively criticizes these two websites and associated topics. The author attempts to fairly and evenly support both.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Social Security Death Index Redactions

In recent months Ancestry.com and FamilySearch have taken steps to make up for the failure of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to utilize the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) to prevent tax fraud. “Social Security Death Index” is a name created by the genealogical community. The government calls it the Public Death Master File (DMF).

Redactions

Ancestry.com removed the SSDI from RootsWeb.com and redacted (removed) social security numbers (SSNs) for individuals who have died in the last ten years. FamilySearch redacted SSNs for those who have died in the last two years.

It is unfortunate that Ancestry.com chose to remove the SSDI from RootsWeb. Not only was it free, but it was the best SSDI search experience on the web. While removing free access will be viewed as nefarious by some, the thinking was that thieves are less likely to pay for a subscription.

This is an example of an individual that died within the last ten years. The SSN is removed:

This example shows where and how the SSN is normally displayed:

FamilySearch redacted the SSN for the past two years. While Ancestry hides the entire line for blank fields, FamilySearch.org shows the field but leaves the value blank:

Valuable Genealogical Records

The SSDI is important because the United States lacks nationwide registration of vital events: birth, marriage, and death. These are recorded at the local level by state, county, and city governments. Just as its name suggests, the SSDI serves as an index. While the SSDI contains second-hand information, it serves as an index leading to local jurisdictions where birth and death certificates might be obtained.

The SSDI is also an index to individuals’ applications for social security numbers, form SS-5. The SS-5 is rich in genealogical information. It contains birth names, birth information, parents’ birth names, and mailing address. According to the current fee table, it is $2 cheaper ($27 vs. $29) to obtain a deceased person’s SS-5 if you have the SSN.

Identity Theft

For many years the SSDI was unfairly accused of being a source of information for identity thieves. Quite the opposite, it has long been a mainstay in preventing identity theft. Attempted identity theft of a deceased individual is quickly detected by checking the SSDI (or DMF).

However, thieves recently found a way to utilize the SSDI to commit identity theft. Identity thieves discovered that the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t check the SSDI and started filing fraudulent tax refund claims using the SSNs of recently deceased individuals.

Legislation

Four legislative proposals are currently under consideration to prevent this abuse from continuing. Three would delay release of SSNs of recently deceased individuals. One would totally eliminate the SSDI/DMF.

RPAC and its sponsoring organizations (FGS, NGS, IAJGS) all submitted Statements for the Record supplementing the transcript of the March 20, 2012 hearing of the Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth of the Senate Committee on Finance entitled “Tax Fraud by Identity Theft, Part 2: Status, Progress, and Potential Solutions” in response to a committee invitation to do so.

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The Ancestry Insider was a readers’ choice for the top four genealogy news and resources blogs, part of Family Tree Magazine’s “40 Best Genealogy Blogs” for 2010. He reports on the two big genealogy organizations, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. He was named a “Most Popular Genealogy Blogs” by ProGenealogists, and has received Family Tree Magazine’s “101 Best Web Sites” award every year since 2008. A genealogical technologist, the Insider has a post-graduate technology degree and holds a dozen technology patents in the United States and abroad. He has done genealogy since 1972 and has worked in the computer industry since 1978. He was Time Magazine Man of the Year in both 1966 and 2006. And he really is descended from an Indian princess.

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